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The Oregon Ducks (3-2) lead the USC Trojans (5-0) 21-14 at the half in the PAC-12 Championship game.
Oregon scored 14 quick points by forcing two interceptions from USC quarterback Kedon Slovis and capitalizing off of them with touchdown passes to Jaylon Redd and Hunter Kampmoyer.
But the Trojans responded with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown to cut the lead to seven. Tyler Shough then added to the Duck lead by orchestrating a four-play, 41-yard touchdown drive that finished with tight end DJ Johnson in the end zone.
Slovis answered with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive late in the second, and then the Trojan defense stepped up by picking off Shough and returning it 34 yards to the Oregon 26-yard line. Forunately, the Ducks preserved their lead by forcing an unsuccessful field goal attempt from 41-yards out.
GIVE ‘EM HELL, DUCKS!
UO - 14/7/
USC - 7/7/
Tyler Shough: 6/11 - 53 YDS - 2 TD - 1 INT
Anthony Brown Jr: 1/1 - 2 YDS - 1 TD
Kedon Slovis: 15/25 - 178 YDS 1 TD - 2 INT
TD SCORERS: (UO) Tyler Shough {2}, Anthony Brown Jr, Jaylon Redd, Hunter Kampmoyer, DJ Johnson (USC) Kedon Slovis {2}, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Markese Stepp
DUCK YARDS: 122 yards - 55 passing - 67 rushing
TROJAN YARDS: 203 yards - 178 passing - 25 rushing
TURNOVERS FORCED: Ducks: 2 (2 Interceptions) - Trojans: 1 (1 Interception)
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1ST QUARTER NOTES
- The Ducks won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
- Kayvon Thibodeaux brought a lot of pressure on USC’s opening play, forcing an incompletion from Kedon Slovis.
- Deommodore Lenoir made the first big play of the game by picking off Kedon Slovis on 3rd-&-10 and returning it 24 yards. Aided by a facemask penalty called on USC, the Duck offense took the field at the USC 9-yard line.
- Jaylon Redd was unable to bring in a pass from Tyler Shough on first down. Travis Dye picked up seven yards on second down, then backup quarterback Anthony Brown Jr. took his first snap of the season and threw a 2-yard TD pass to Jaylon Redd.
Ducks 7 - Trojans 0
(3 plays, 9 yards, :11)
- On first down, USC was called for an illegal-use-of-hands penalty, resulting in a loss of eight yards.
- A sack by Andrew Faoliu punctuated a forced three-&-out for the Duck defense.
- A sack on second down by Talanoa Hufanga doomed the Ducks next drive. Oregon went three-&-out and committed an offensive hold on third down but the penalty was declined.
- The Trojans converted on 3rd-&-1 with a four-yard run from Markese Stepp, but two plays later Slovis threw his second interception of the game - this time to Jamal Hill.
- Dye picked up four yards, and then fourteen yard on his first two touches of Oregon’s proceeding drive. Then Shough connected with tight end Hunter Kampmoyer for a 14-yard touchdown.
Ducks 14 - Trojans 0
(3 plays, 32 yards, 1:25)
- Slovis connected with Drake London on 2nd-&-9 for a 10-yard gain, made worse by a personal foul called on Mykael Wright for unnecessary roughness that resulted in an additional 15 yards.
- The Trojan drive reached a 3rd-&-3, but only managed to pick up two yards off a carry from Stephen Carr. Then, on 4th-&-1, Kayvon Thibodeaux brought down the already-slipping back for a loss.
- The Ducks were forced to punt on their next drive after tight end DJ Johnson was unable to hold on to a pass that would have converted on third down.
- Slovis scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide-open Carr near the sideline for a 26-yard gain. An illegal blocking penalty was called on Drake London which knocked off 15 yards.
- On 3rd-&-5, Slovis escaped pressure to find Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 12-yard gain.
- And on the very next play, St. Brown brought in a 47-yard touchdown reception that cut the lead to 7.
Ducks 14 - Trojans 7
(7 plays, 87 yards, 2:46)
- Sean Dollars entered the game and picked up 15 yards on first down.
- Shough threw to Mycah Pittman for a seven yard gain on the final play of the first quarter. Setting up a 2nd-&-3 for the second quarter.
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2ND QUARTER NOTES
- A miss-handled mesh resulted in an Oregon fumble on the first play of the second quarter. Thankfully, Shough was able to jump on it for a 4-yard loss.
- Shough only managed to pick up three of the seven yards required to convert on third down, resulting in a punt from midfield.
- The Trojans started at their own 7-yard line, and due to a ferocious passrush from Thibodeaux and Brandon Dorlus were forced into a three-&-out after a sack from the latter Duck.
- JJ Greenfield got a couple fingers to USC’s punt, but got a lucky bounce that carried it to the USC 41.
- Two 11-yard passes to Dye and Pittman got the Ducks to the Trojan red zone.
- Johnson took a short pass 16 yards for another Oregon TD pass.
Ducks 21 - Trojans 7
(4 plays, 41 yards, 1:53)
- Slovis found Bru McCoy for an 11-yard gain on first down.
- On 2nd-&-5, Oregon was called on an unnecessary roughness penalty.
- On 4th-&-3 at the Oregon 35, Slovis threw to Drake London for an 11-yard gain. Then returned to the sophomore on 3rd-&-6, who rewarded the QB with another first down via a 9-yard reception.
- Gary Bryant Jr. nearly picked up the score but was slammed down at the 1-yard line by Nick Pickett.
- Stepp pounded in the score on the next play.
Ducks 21 - Trojans 14
(12 plays, 80 yards, 5:10)
- Kampmoyer lost a yard on first down reception. Shough picked up two yards with his legs on second down, setting up a 3rd-&-8 at the Oregon 16.
- Sean Dollars picked up nine yards on the next two snaps, then on 3rd-&-1 Brown Jr and Cyrus Habibi-Likio entered the game and converted with a three-yard gain.
- On the next play, Shough threw an interception. Kana’i Mauga returned the pick 34 yards to the Oregon 26.
- Slovis threw to London for a 7-yard gain on first down. On second down, offsetting penalties led to a 41-yard field goal attempt that missed wide right.
- Shough killed the clock to end the first half.
Ducks 21 - Trojans 14
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